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Bandung, Indonesia's third largest city, is full of diverse food culture!

Matthew Brian Gumaldi, 4th year student School of International Liberal Studies

Bandung is the city I grew up in my whole life, and I am proud to call it my home. Bandung is the third most populous city in Indonesia, and it has a temperature that is cooler than the average Indonesian cities. Although Bandung may be overshadowed by places like Jakarta and Bali, I think that it’s one of the places in Indonesia that you should definitely pay a visit. It may not have fancy skyscrapers or an aesthetically pleasing layout, but it has its own unique appeal, especially in terms of cuisine.

One of the must-do things when you’re visiting Bandung is to go to an area called “Sudirman Street”. Sudirman Street can be regarded as the Chinatown of Bandung, and it is well known for its wide variety of street foods sold from stalls and restaurants. The best time to visit this area is at nighttime as it is usually bustling with people walking around the streets and going from one place to another just to eat specific dishes. Although the restaurants may seem old-fashioned when compared to the ones in Tokyo, I can guarantee that the food is to die for. 

Sudirman Street. A glittering atmosphere with many restaurants and cafes.

In addition to local cuisine, Indonesia offers a wide variety of national cuisines. With so many different types of food to choose from, it can be confusing where to start your culinary journey. When I go to Sudirman Street, I start by eating one of my personal favorite dishes called nasi campur. Different Indonesian regions have their own style of nasi campur, but my favorite is the Bandung-style one, which is essentially a rice dish that is topped with fried meatballs, an egg, sliced cucumbers, and slices of crispy pork belly. A touch of sweetness can be added using sweet soy sauce to create a sweet and salty flavor that elevates the dish even more. The majority of the Indonesian population areunable to consume pork due to religious reasons, so only a handful of restaurants sell pork. Therefore, nasi campur has become my go-to whenever I crave pork.

After eating the dish, I usually crave something to snack on while I explore the area for any food that seems interesting. For this, I usually eat a sweet dish called bola ubi which is literally “sweet potato balls.” It is shaped like a table tennis ball, but the food is very light and fluffy, and it has a texture that is very crispy on the outside. It is characterized by the sweetness  of the sweet potatoes.

Nasi Campur (left) and Bora Ubi (right)

If you do come visit Sudirman Street, I recommend going with a friend because you will not only have more fun, but you are also able to share the moment with someone else, which makes for a valuable memory.

◎ This is what Bandung, Republic of Indonesia is like ◎

The Republic of Indonesia is the country with the most islands in the world, and has a population of about 270 million (2020), making it the fourth largest in the world. Bandung is the third largest city in Indonesia, located about three hours by bus or train from the capital Jakarta. Due to its high altitude, it is cool all year round and is known as a summer resort. Bandung has a population of about 2.5 million (2020), and many tourists flock to the city from Jakarta on weekends. In addition to the Bandung Institute of Technology, where Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, graduated, there are several other universities, making it a famous academic city. The time difference with Japan is -2 hours.